Burial apparatus



F. C.`ROGKWELL. BURIAL APPARATUS.

No. 509,585. l Patented Nov. 28, 1893.

NH i

l nu

gummi;

AQ Illa! UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK C. ROCKWVELL, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BURIAL APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 509,585, dated November28, 1893.

Application filed August 7, 1893.

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known/'that I, FREDERICK C. ROCK- WELL, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Hartford,in the county of Hartford and State ofC0nnecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in BurialAptparatus, of which the following is a specificaion.

The invention relates to the class of portable apparatus designed to beplaced at the opening of a grave or vault for receiving and mechanicallylowering a coffin or casket, the ebject being to provide a simple, cheapand inconspicuous machine which being light in weight can beconveniently moved and placed at thebpening of any grave or vault, andwhich 1s so constructed that a casket which is placed upon it above agrave can be lowered at any seemly and desired rate of sneed, in adignified and impressive manner, by a single person,who, by frictionaldevices has absolute control of the lowering without any danger ofaccidental starting, stoppin g, or too rapid lowering of the casket.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure l is a plan ef theapparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail enlarged sectional view of the frictionalcontrolling-device. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of an adjustablefrictional drag or balancing friction that may be used with the machine,and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the operating disk that is borne on theshank of the foot-lever.

In the views, l indicates the frame which is shown as a rectangular boxof wood with an opening in the center of approximately the size of theopening of the grave. On each side this frame in suitable bearingssupports a rotary shaft, 2, fast to which are drums, 3, upon which arewound the straps or cords, 4, the free ends of which are provided withhooks or clasps, 5, that when fastened together may be uncou pled bypulling the releasing cords, 6. At one end the shafts, 2, bear bevelgears, 7, that mesh with bevel gears, 8, on'a transverse shaft, 9, sothat the shafts all rotate in unison. Splined on this shaft, 9, are oneor more cones, 10, which are pressed by means of a heavy spring, 11,into conical shells, 1.2, that are secured to the frame of the machine.Levers, 13, are pivoted to the frame or to lugs Serial No. 482,499. (Nomodel covered with leather, can be reciprocated into or out of theshells. The ends of theselevers are connected by links, 14, with aneccentric or crank disk, 15, that is mounted on the axle, 16, of a footpad, 17, so that when the pad is rocked by the foot of any person thedisk is rotated and the levers pushed or pulled by the links so as toreciprocate the cones on the shaft with which they rotate. It ispreferred that on each of the longitudinal shafts, 2, a clamp or drag,18, with an adjustable screw, 19, be placed tot provide a supplementalfriction which is tightened before the machine is used to almost balancethe load which is to be lowered into the grave. With the arrangementdescribed the two cones on the transverse shaft that has gears meshingwith gears on the longitudinal shafts are forced by the heavy springinto the conical recesses in the shells with suicient friction toprevent any movement of the shafts under the pull of any weight placedon the supporting straps. When all is ready a person by the foot mayoscillate the foot pad and rock its axle or shaft so as to very slightlyrotate the disk and through the links and levers draw the cones `againstthe spring from the shells so as to relieve the friction sufficient toallow the shafts to rotate and lower the casket into the grave. Therapidity of lowering is regulated by the amount of friction between thecones and the shells which is governed by the foot of the operatorworking against the spring, and should the foot from any cause beremoved from the foot-pad the spring will force the cones back into theshells and gradually bring the device to rest. If, however, the body tobe lowered is very heavy the additional or su pplementarybalancingfriction can be tightened by means of a key or wrenchbefore the machineis placed in position so that there will be no undue load placed on thefriction cones and shells, whereas if a light body is to be loweredthese drags may be loosened up before starting. Should the heavy springbe- IOO ' come disarranged or inoperative the cones can be iirmiy driveninto the shells by the foot of the operator who simply oscillates thefootpad in a direction oppositev to that for releas- -ing the cones, asthe levers will force the cones into the shells as well as draw themout. Thus any accident due to a disarrangernent of the spring can beprevented. The straps, of course, may be Wound up by any common andconvenient mechanism, and if it is preferred the conical shells can bemoved onto the cones instead of reciprocating the cones on the shaft, toregulate the friction and determine the speed ofv lowering.

I claim as my invention- 1. A burial apparatus consisting of a framebearing rotary shafts With casket supporting straps,a friction coneborne by one of said shafts, a conical shell for receiving the cone, anda lever for engaging the cone and the shell, to regulate the frictionbetween them,A substantially as specified.

2. A burial apparatus consisting of aframe bearing rotary shaftsWithcasket supporting straps, a friction cone borne by one of saidyshafts, a conical shell for receiving the cone,

a spring for engaging, and a lever for disengaging the cone and theshell, substantially as specified.

3. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame bearing rotary shafts withcasket supporting straps, a friction device borne by one of said shafts,a lever connected with the friction device on the inside and extendingto the outside of the frame whereby the friction between the parts canbe regulated, and an adjustable supplementary friction in the interiorof the frame for balancing the load, substantially as specified.

4. A burial apparatus consisting of a frame bearing rotary shafts withcasket supporting straps, a pair of friction cones splined to one ofsaid shafts, two conical shells forreceiving said cones supported by the`frame, a spring for thrusting the cones :into the shells,and a leverand connections for drawing the cones from the shells, substantially asspecified.

FREDERICK C. ROCK WELL.

Witnesses:

HARRY R. WILLIAMS, C. E. BUCKLAND.

